COMMITMENT & COUPLES GROWTH Emotionally committed relationships bring excitement and passion into our lives, especially when they are new. Over time, however, we come across roadblocks based in personal issues that can distance us from our partners. When we first enter into a committed relationship, we may think that we have found the answer to life’s problems, that we have …

WHAT ABOUT PANIC ATTACKS ? One of the most debilitating manifestations of anxiety is the panic attack. These dramatic episodes of anxiety seem to come out of the blue and happen even when there is no real danger. They are usually intense for a few minutes and then subside. The sufferer may experience chest pains, the feeling of smothering, dizziness, …

TAKING CHARGE OF ANXIETY Those who deal with anxiety in a positive way usually have: a sense of self-determination a feeling of involvement in life’s experiences, and an ability to change negative into positive thinking. Self-determination refers to a personal ability to control or adapt to the events of everyday living. A great deal of anxiety is perpetuated by …

MOST COMMON ANXIETY DISORDERS An anxiety disorder lasts longer than normal anxiety, is more intense, and can lead to fears that interfere with the ability to function in daily life. Here are some of the more common types of anxiety disorders : Generalized Anxiety Disorder occurs when a person has endured, for at least six months, a state of excessive …

It is difficult to achieve intimacy in a relationship unless we have the ability to trust. We tend to focus on other people when we think about trust – that is, we might ask, who out there can be trusted and who cannot? But it may be more helpful to look inside and to think about trust also as something …

A number of research studies have shown persuasively that people in intimate relationships live longer and happier lives than those who are not. For example, we know that people in marriages or other committed relationships live longer than people who are single. In one classic study researchers found that 95 percent of people who described their parents as uncaring had …

In a marriage each person seems to understand the intimate experience in his or her own way. In a sense it takes a journey of personal discovery to learn how to share intimacy with another person. Here are some guidelines that may help to define that journey– Know Your Self: Get in touch with your own private experiences. In our …

Many people search for that special intimacy in their relationship. Some of us search our entire lives for a feeling of oneness with another person. It’s hard to describe, really, what we search for, but we know it when we finally achieve it. Maybe we tire of that dark feeling of being ultimately alone as we struggle through life. If …

MARRIAGE & EMOTIONALLY AVAILABLE PARTNERS How emotionally available are you ? Circle “T” or “F” to describe how you respond to the following situations. The more “True” answers you circle, the likelier you are to have difficulty with emotional availability (T)(F) I seldom cry. (T)(F) If I feel like crying, I try everything I can to stop myself. (T)(F) I seldom saw my …

MARRIAGE AND BEING EMOTIONALLY AVAILABLE In addition to becoming familiar with your emotions, there are three other elements that are related to developing the capacity to be emotionally available – Good Self-Esteem – The messages we have heard from other people throughout our lives – but especially during childhood when we are most vulnerable to the impact of these messages …